SETTING THE STAGE: New smaller theater at Floyd Central to open this week with ‘Nunsense’

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Staff photo by Kevin McGloshen
Staff photo by Kevin McGloshen
Staff photo by Kevin McGloshen

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February 4, 2010

By TARA HETTINGER The News and Tribune Thu Feb 04, 2010, 09:39 PM EST

Floyd Central High School students are setting the stage on a smaller scale.

The school will officially open its new Studio One Theatre with the musical “Nunsense” this weekend.

The show is about a group of nuns who perform in a talent show to raise money to bury some of their fellow nuns who have died by accidental food poisoning, said Director Chris Bundy.

“I’m a senior, so it’s kind of cool to have the first production in this theater be like my last production,” said 18-year-old Allie Ordonez, who is playing one of the nuns.

Before the school’s renovation project, there was a small theater created in what was a classroom. However, there was no tiered seating, good lighting and more, Bundy said. The new Studio One Theatre is a smaller version of the 850-seat main theater, with 130 theater-style seats, extensive lighting, room for a set and more.

“This has legit lights, nice seats, a bigger stage and even a backstage area,” Ordonez said.

“It’s fantastic. It’s a lot more intimate, which we need for this show,” said Alex Criss, who plays the Rev. Mother.

Criss said the show takes a lot of audience involvement, with the actors coming out to interact with the people. “This show feeds off the audience,” Ordonez said. “It makes it funnier, because you have more interaction with them and can feed off of them.”

More than it working for this show, Bundy said this stage is needed for other uses as well.

“It allows me to have the space for kids to have the opportunity to produce shows,” Bundy said. “That’s something I’d like them to be able to do, but often the big stage is taken up with other productions. This opens up that possibility for them to have more flexibility to have more performance space.”

He said it could also be used by other groups in the school for poetry readings and more.

“There’s no downside to it,” Bundy said. “Every school in the world should have the opportunity to have a large stage and a smaller one to work with. It really helps with the educational process.”

Bundy said there is more of a risk of selling out due to the smaller space. He also said less tickets means making less money, adding that the goal is usually to break even. However, that can be made up with money left over from the larger productions, which are performed in the main theater.

He is encouraging people to reserve tickets now, adding that this play is not suitable for children under 12.

IF YOU GO

• WHAT: Floyd Central High School students to perform “Nunsense”

• WHEN: 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 5, 6, 12 and 13 and 2 p.m. on Feb. 7 and 14

• WHERE: FCHS’s Studio One Theatre

• DETAILS: Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and $6 for students. The show is not recommended for children under 12. To buy tickets, call 812-923-8811, extension 3527.